Crush Those (Important) To-Do List Items with the Eisenhower Matrix

Making a “To-Do List” is one of the most popular ways of keeping track of what needs to get done. 

We’ve all made them – and sometimes, they are helpful. 

Other times, however, To-Do Lists are unrealistic, inefficient, overwhelming, and, ultimately, lead to procrastination.

That’s not to say you should keep all of those things weighing on your mind in your head. Not at all! 

At Freedom Foam & Equipment, we believe in getting all the tasks cluttering your brain out of your mind and onto paper! 

Jotting down your thoughts – especially when they are overwhelming – can help clear your mind and lead to better decision-making!

But while creating a To-Do List can be freeing, they are most efficient when organized into prioritized actions.

Because no one can do everything, man. Not even Superman (who, btw, isn’t human). 

So, next time you’re creating a To-Do List, we recommend using the Eisenhower Matrix to organize your list items! With the Eisenhower Matrix, you arrange actions in a way that can help you accomplish both short- and long-term goals, and ultimately, contribute to a fulfilling life.

What Is The Eisenhower Matrix?

In a speech given by the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, in 1954, he quoted a president of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, saying there are “two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent.”

It is this quote on which the Eisenhower Matrix is based.

Often attributed Eisenhower himself, and thought to be popularized by Stephen Covey – the author of the massively popular book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – the Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful organization tool that can help you determine the best use of your time and energy, so you can reach your goals and live a life you’re proud of!

Do you typically view planning as a waste of time? We understand.

But here’s the thing: while it may seem like a waste, taking time to plan actually saves time, in the long run.

How? Because when you’re organized, you can better focus your energy on the things that matter…

And when you focus your energy, you get more done in less time!

That’s not to say that what you need to get done is easy. On the contrary!

Spraying foam is hard work!

And none of us has an unlimited supply of energy or willpower. 

That’s why it’s so important to focus on the tasks that are the best suited to your strengths, accomplish them in the correct order, and either delegate the rest, or let them go entirely.

How do you use the Eisenhower Matrix?

Well, it starts with a completed To-Do List.

How To Use the Eisenhower Matrix

To use the Eisenhower Matrix, start by getting every single task you can think of that needs to be done onto a To-Do List.

Yes, even the things that seem unimportant, like getting an oil change or going for a walk in the park.

Got everything down? Great.

Now, create a grid 2×2 grid on a clean sheet of paper.

On the horizontal boxes, assign the labels “Urgent” and “Not Urgent.”

Then, on the vertical boxes, assign the labels “Important” and “Not Important.”

This creates 4 squares into which you will sort all the tasks you listed on your To-Do List. 

The 4 squares of the Eisenhower Matrix are:

Quadrant 1 – Urgent & Important

Quadrant 2 – Not Urgent & Important

Quadrant 3 – Urgent & Not Important

Quadrant 4 – Not Urgent & Not Important

Let’s look a bit deeper at what each of these Quadrants means before you sort your To-Do List items into their respective categories.

Quadrant 1 – Do 

The items you sort in to Quadrant 1 are the Urgent and Important tasks. These items are often the most pressing items on your list that still matter to reaching your short-term goals. (The Urgent tasks that don’t matter to your goals belong in Quadrant 3 – even if they are screaming for your attention!)

Quadrant 1 tasks call for your particular set of skills – they cannot be delegated, and they need to be accomplished as quickly as possible for your goals to be achieved.

When you focus on Quadrant 1 tasks first, you maximize your efforts and minimize the stress of the day.  

While it may seem like spending all of your time and energy on Quadrant 1 tasks is a good idea, a life lived entirely in the Urgent, Important category is one that is constantly putting out fires, and leaving behind the Important, but Not Urgent tasks. 

Thus, there is another quadrant that requires attention in order to reach long-term goals and find fulfillment in your life: Quadrant 2!

Quadrant 2 – Schedule

The Important, but Not Urgent tasks belong in Quadrant 2 of the Eisenhower Matrix.  

These are To-Do List items that are not necessarily due in the next few hours, but are necessary to further your long-term goals and form meaningful relationships. This Quadrant is often where your most fulfilling activities are placed, such as family time, exercise, and hobbies.

These tasks are important, but because they are not urgent, they’re often overlooked unless you intentionally work them into your schedule. Thus, if you place a task here, it is likely worth scheduling the time to complete it!  

Other items that belong in Quadrant 2 may not be quite as personal, but are still important to reaching your goals – such as maintaining your equipment, ordering foam materials for your next job, or working up a job bid for a new customer. 

These items, if not tended to in a controlled manner, will ultimately move into Quadrant 1, and if they do, can take over your life unnecessarily. Thus, scheduling time to take care of such tasks before they become urgent will make your life much easier in the future. 

Urgent, but Not Important, tasks are often mistaken for Important ones, when really, they are simply loud. Take your power back! Call the Urgent but Not Important tasks what they are – Not Important! – assign them to Quadrant 3!

Quadrant 3 – Delegate  

Quadrant 3 houses the Urgent, but Not Important, tasks from your To-Do List. These are pressing tasks that need addressed, but are not the best use of YOUR unique skill set. 

The items in Quadrant 3, therefore, are best delegated to someone else on your team, or hired out to a partner. 

Spending your time on tasks that further your goals is the #1 contributing factor to achieving those goals – and when it comes to items in Quadrant 3 of the Eisenhower Matrix, your time is better used elsewhere. 

Plus, when you delegate items to people whose skills match those items, they get to hone their craft while you spend your time on the tasks that further yours.

Win-win!

Now we come to the last quadrant: the Not Urgent, Not Important tasks.  

Quadrant 4 – Let Go

Speaking frankly, Quadrant 4 is the place where Not Urgent and Not Important tasks on your To-Do List go to die.

That’s right – when you place something in this Quadrant, you’re recognizing it as the distraction that it is, and simply letting it go.  

Quadrant 4 comes down to this: 

Sometimes, the only way to achieve what is truly important to you is to put down some of the balls you are trying to juggle.

There are limits to how many plates each of us can keep spinning – and that’s okay!

There are times when the answer is doing less – but doing each chosen item better.

Besides, endings all lead to new beginnings!

So. 

Let the things in Quadrant 4 go, so you can more fully appreciate the life you’ve been blessed with!

Conclusion 

It’s time to organize that To-Do List!

Using the Eisenhower Matrix, you can better achieve your goals in life, and enjoy the journey, too.

What can be better than that?

If you have questions about how to apply this idea to your life, or need to order some fantastic foam for your spray foam contracting business, give Freedom Foam & Equipment a call!

We’d love to help you find success in your business – and in your life!